MVA (but it's sonic) 2

Chapter 11- No Use Crying

The giant hedgehog jogged along the barren streets of the town. He had ran along these streets before, when he was smaller and less... dangerous. He knew that barely anyone came along this roadway, only people who lived around the area or vehicles carrying things from place to place would ever come here, and even then that was a rarity.

THUMP THUMP THUMP THUMP

His heavy footsteps pounded in his ears. The sound made him want to jump out of his skin, or run faster and faster, but the more he ran the more he could hear his footsteps. It was like a hammer in his skull. Every footstep made him think of the worst he could do, he hated thinking about it, but he couldn't stop.

"AGH! Stop that!" Sonic said as he slowed down and began to smack the sides of his head. "Stop it! Stop feeling sorry for yourself! You don't need to think about thi-IS!" Something snagged against his shoe and he stumbled over, then plummeted face first into the asphalt of the road.

He sat up onto his knees and rubbed his bruised face, a massive scratch had appeared on the side of his cheek, but he wasn't bleeding. He made a disgruntled groan when he realized this.

"You alright, Sonny-boy?"

His ear twitched. He knew who that was, and when he looked over his shoulder, he found he was right. As his own uncle was there, walking towards him from the side of his food truck. Of course he was here. He always came down this roadway for his lunch break.

"You should watch where you're going. Ya nearly tipped me over!" He laughed, finding Sonic's slip up to be amusing.

"Ah... sorry about that unc..." Sonic said lowly as he brushed a hand through his quills.

His sombre look didn't go unnoticed, as Chuck immediately dropped his grin and looked at him with worry. "Is everything alright, Sonic?" He said.

"Y-Yeah! Everything's GOOD! Everything's FINE!" Sonic lied. "TOTALLY GREAT! Haha!"

His uncle put his hands on his hips. "Sonic..."

Sonic sighed. "Sorry..." He finally turned to face him, and he sat in the middle of the road, hugging his knees.

"Hey, what's going on? You look sadder than the time I told you I couldn't make you anymore chillidogs."

"I don't want to talk about it..." He hugged his knees tighter and his throat began to sting again.

"You sure? It might make you feel better."

Sonic wrapped his arms around his legs even tighter, gripping onto them as he buried his face in his lap. He made a small whine as his throat stung harder.

Chuck huffed out a sigh. He was familiar with this, with his nephew not telling him what was going on. He didn't like to make people worry about him, but him not telling was the thing that did make people worry.

Still, he didn't want to press if he wasn't comfortable, and with his sigh, he crossed his arms and stood there. "Alright, I won't put pressure on ya. But just know that whatever is upsetting you, you have a lot of people who would drop anything to help."

He gave Sonic a gentle smile. One that even though Sonic couldn't see it, he knew he was making. He made that face all the time when he knew he was upset about something. A smile that was so sweet and genuine. Not a hint of judgement or apathy was in it.

But that smile only made Sonic feel worse. He didn't deserve this, he didn't think he deserved this. A strained whine exited out of his throat. "I'm hurting people, Chuck..."

Chuck blinked in surprise. Did he hear that right? "You... what?"

Sonic whined again. He could hear that twinge of fear in his voice when he said those words, and that was what he dreaded from him. That he was scared of him, like the others were. A sob finally leaked out of him, and he hiccuped when he brought the air back into his lungs, then another strained sob came out, followed by another shallow hiccup. He was crying. Uncomfortably, but he was crying.